Asian Lite News Archive

Category: PAKISTAN

  • India warns of trans-border terror threats

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    By Arul Louis As the UN-mandated international combat mission in Afghanistan enters its final days after a democratic transfer of power in Kabul, a Security Council debate put the spotlight on the terrorist threats to the fragile nation with India warning of the support extremists get from “beyond borders” and tying together the this week’s…

  • Pakistan court suspends execution

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    The Sindh High Court (SHC) Monday suspended the black warrants of two convicts observing that proper legal procedures were not followed. The suspension of the warrants came after the SHC heard appeals filed by the families of Muhammad Azam and Ataullah alias Abdullah, who were member of banned organisations, The News International reported. The appeals…

  • Pakistan executes four more terrorists

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    Four prisoners, convicted for attacking former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf, were executed  at a district jail in Faisalabad. Zubair Ahmed, Rasheed Qureshi, Ghulam Sarwar Bhatti and Russian citizen Akhlaque Ahmed were shifted from the central jail in Faisalabad to another district jail late Saturday to be hanged, Dawn online reported. Family members were allowed to…

  • Pakistan plans counselling for traumatised children

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      Pakistan’s National Health Services (NHS) has prepared counselling session programme on post-traumatic stress management for the children who survived the gruesome Peshawar school attack, media reported Sunday. According to an official statement, sessions will be held with students, their families and teachers that would help them recover from the shock, Dawn online reported. A…

  • Lakhvi still in jail: Pakistan

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    Pakistani Taliban chief Mullah Fazlullah may have been killed as Pakistan stepped up its war against terror, ordering the execution of 10 more terrorists and assuring that Mumbai terror attack mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi has not been released. A dozen terrorists were killed in separate operations across the country, including in Peshawar where 132 school…

  • Umar Mansoor warns of more attacks

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    The terrorist who supervised the Peshawar school massacre has threatened more attacks, if the military and the intelligence agencies do not stop anti-terror operations, media reported . In a video with English subtitles posted on Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan’s (TTP) website, Umar Mansoor said that Tuesday’s attack on the Army Public School which killed 148 people, including…

  • Pakistan begin terror executions

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    Two convicted Pakistani terrorists were executed , in the first capital punishment carried out in the country since Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif lifted the 2008 moratorium on the death penalty in wake of the Peshawar school attack. The executed terrorists were Usman, a former soldier of the Army Medical Corps who was sentenced to death…

  • Pakistan on high alert before executions

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    All prisons across Pakistan went on high alert, with officials preparing to start executing prisoners jailed for terrorist crimes from dawn Saturday. Six of the seven who will face the gallows in Faislabad and two jails in Lahore have been convicted for attempting to assassinate then president and army chief Pervez Musharraf, Geo TV reported…

  • Execution of six Pakistani terrorists cleared

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      Pakistan Army Chief General Raheel Sharif has approved the execution of six terrorists who were sentenced to death by military courts, a media report said Friday. “Chief of Army Staff today signed death warrants of six hardcore terrorists convicted by the Field General Court Martial in accordance with law,” Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director…

  • Indian pressure gets Lakhvi back in detention

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    Mumbai attack mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, who was granted bail, has now been detained under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, a media report said . A government source told Dawn that the government has also decided to appeal in superior courts against Lakhvi’s bail. An anti-terrorism court in Islamabad granted…

  • Pakistan to begin executions from next week

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      Implementation of death penalty cases in Pakistan is expected to begin within a week with the country’s interior ministry working on the process of wrapping up mercy appeals of convicts, media reported Thursday. The interior ministry  sent 120 mercy appeals of death row inmates to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who will forward them to…

  • 26/11 key accused Lakhvi gets bail in Pakistan

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      Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, commander of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and one of the main accused in the 26/11 Mumbai attack, was granted bail Thursday by Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC). The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) prosecutor disagreed with the bail request. However advocate Rizwan Abbasi, representing Lakhvi, appeared before the court as the bail pleas was…

  • 1971 surrender ceremony at Dhaka re-enacted

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    By Subir Bhaumik   The singers had just finished their patriotic numbers when a shrill whistle rent the air. A surge of men piled on to the stage where the Sectors Commanders Forum, an organisation of those who fought the 1971 liberation war against Pakistan, were celebrating the Victory Day that ended in the birth of…

  • Pakistan lifts ban on capital punishment

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      Pakistan  lifted a ban on capital punishment in terrorism cases, a day after 132 children were slaughtered by Taliban guerrillas in an army-run school here. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif revoked the ban on capital punishment in terrorism cases following which the terrorists facing death penalty could be executed, Geo TV reported. Nawaz Sharif described…

  • Modi leads the nation in two minutes silence

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    Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other MPs on  observed two-minute silence in memory of Pakistan school terror victims. The Lok Sabha observed a brief silence in memory of those who lost their lives in a Taliban attack on a school in Pakistan’s Peshawar city Tuesday. As soon as the house assembled for the day, Speaker…

  • Toll reach 148 in Peshawar massacre

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    Children were the majority of the 148 people killed  in a Taliban attack on a school run by the Pakistani army in the northwestern city of Peshawar, near the border with Afghanistan. The fatalities included 132 students and nine school employees, the military’s director of public information, Gen. Asim Bajwa, told a press conference. Another…

  • Satyarthi and Malala condemns Peshawar attacks

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    Education campaigner and Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai  condemned the attack on school children in Pakistan as a “senseless and cold-blooded act of terror”. “I am heartbroken by this senseless and cold-blooded act of terror in Peshawar. I condemn these atrocious and cowardly acts, and stand united with the government and armed forces of Pakistan,” Malala…

  • India condemn Peshawar school attack

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    President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi  “strongly condemned” the terror attack on a school in Pakistan’s Peshawar city in which at least 126 school children were killed. Mukherjee expressed “deep anguish” and “strongly condemned” the incident in which heavily armed terrorists launched a brazen attack on the army-run school. In a message, the…

  • The slaughter of innocents

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    In one of the worst acts of human savagery ever perpetrated, the Pakistani Taliban senselessly slaughtered 126 school children in a brazen terror attack launched by its heavily armed gunmen and suicide bombers on an army-run school in Pakistan’s Peshawar city in retaliation to Pakistan Army’s operation against extremists in North Waziristan. The horrifying attack…

  • 20 killed by Taliban in a Pakistani school

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    20 children were killed, many seriously injured and 500 students were trapped  when a group of heavily armed terrorists carried out an audacious attack on the Army Public School in this Pakistani city of Peshawar. Over 500 students and teachers are said to be trapped in the school, ARY news reported. The media report said that two…

  • Imran Khan shutdown Lahore

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      Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party, protesting since August against the alleged rigging in the 2013 parliamentary election, Monday imposed a shutdown here. PTI activists have gathered at various locations here, where they burnt tyres and blocked 18 areas, closing down vehicular traffic, Dawn online reported. The blocked areas include Mall Road, Liberty…

  • Parrikar talks tough on Pakistan

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      Even as India will try to use diplomatic steps to avoid a confrontation with Pakistan, one needs to teach lessons to “those who are rogue”, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said. Asked at the Aaj Tak-2014 conclave about the disturbances created by Pakistan along the border, he said India was not closing any options for…

  • Imran Khan shut-down Karachi

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      Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan’s party, protesting since August against the alleged rigging in the 2013 parliamentary elections, Friday imposed a shut-down in the port city of Karachi. Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) has announced their plan to block 11 spots in the city, where protests would be held by party leaders. The party, while terming it as…

  • Pakistan deplores CIA torture

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     Pakistan’s Foreign Office condemned the US Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA) torture of detainees and said steps taken for countering terrorism must be transparent. “Pakistan deplores the Senate report on CIA torture of detainees,” spokeswoman Tasneem Aslam said. “It is a violation of international laws. Human rights laws must be respected,” Dawn online quoted Aslam as…

  • We are united for rights: Malala

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      Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani activist espousing education for girls said  that she was glad she received the Nobel Peace Prize together with India’s Kailash Satyarti because it showed the world that an Indian and a Pakistani could work together for children’s rights. “I am also honoured to receive this award together with Kailash Satyarti, who…

  • Malala, Kailash accept Nobel Prize

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    Glad an Indian and a Pakistani can unite for rights: Malala Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani activist espousing education for girls said Wednesday that she was glad she received the Nobel Peace Prize together with India’s Kailash Satyarti because it showed the world that an Indian and a Pakistani could work together for children’s rights. “I am…

  • Many children die in Pakistan drought

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    At least seven more children have reportedly died in drought-hit Tharparkar district in Pakistan’s Sindh province, taking the unofficial toll this year to 533, media reported . Insufficient rainfall and lack of vegetation were major factors that led to the famine situation in the region, causing malnutrition in mothers and leading to health problems among…

  • ‘ISIS may exploit Pakistan’s sectarian divide’

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      The Pakistan government has realised that the Islamic State (IS) group is a potential threat that could benefit from the changing militant landscape in the country and exploit the sectarian schism by signing up new recruits, media reported . “It would be dishonest to say IS is not a threat to Pakistan,” said National…

  • Nobel Prize makes me feel powerful: Malala

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    Pakistani child education activist Malala Yousafzai said  that she was honoured to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, and it made her feel “more powerful and courageous”. “I’m really happy to be sharing this award with a person from India,” she said at a press conference here on the eve of the award ceremony, adding that…

  • Pakistan rejects India’s allegations

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      Pakistan  said it firmly rejects India’s “baseless allegations” about “mainstreaming of terrorism” regarding the Lahore rally by terror mastermind Hafiz Saeed and also the “equally baseless allegations and efforts to malign Pakistan by implicating it in the recent attacks” in Jammu and Kashmir. In response to a question about comments by India’s external affairs…

  • Pakistan confirms ISIS presence with arrests

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    Pakistan  confirmed arrests in connection with activities of the Islamic State (IS) Sunni radical group. Officials earlier played down the presence of IS in the country after unidentified people distributed pamphlets in parts of northwest Pakistan, some areas along the border with Afghanistan and Afghan refugee camps. The pamphlets were also distributed in the eastern…

  • Scotland Yard officers in Pakistan

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    A mock exercise was staged in the Pakistani city of Rawalpindi for six Scotland Yard officers who wanted to know how the police busted a terrorist plan in the city last June. Officials said that their curiosity was aroused by media reports that the Rawalpindi police detected the formidable arsenal of explosives and ammunition the…

  • Boundaries can’t be rewritten: Jaitley

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      Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said Pakistan should understand once and forever that boundaries between nations cannot be rewritten now. Addressing a gathering of local civil society and intellectuals here, Jaitley said: “Pakistan needs to understand once and forever that boundaries between nations cannot be rewritten now.” “Those few who believe resorting to violence can…

  • Fencing along Indo-Pak border close to complete

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    Nearly 2,000 km of fencing along the India-Pakistan border has been put in place even as cases of cross-border infiltration are rising, Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju said . In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Rijiju said that in order to prevent infiltration and cross border illegal activities, the central…

  • Sharif to attend London conference on Afghanistan

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    Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif would be visiting Britain to attend the London Conference on Afghanistan, a foreign ministry statement said . The conference is scheduled to be held Dec 3-4. British Prime Minister David Cameron had telephoned Sharif Oct 28 and invited him to participate in the conference. The conference will be co-hosted by…

  • No talks with Imran Khan: Pakistan

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    The Pakistan government has ruled out the possibility of resuming a dialogue with PTI chief Imran Khan after he said that he would shutdown major cities – and the country. Most political parties rejected Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief’s call, fearing that the country would be plunged into a crisis, Dawn online reported Monday. Responding swiftly…

  • Attacks on Hindu temples on rise in Pakistan

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     In the latest incident of its kind, a Hindu temple was attacked by fanatics in Pakistan, the temple was torched, the stone idol of Lord Hanuman blackened with soot, and some religious books burnt. This attack Nov 21 on the Hindu temple in the Tando Mohammad Khan area in Sindh – and reported in the…

  • Pakistani terror group claim attack on polio workers

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      Pakistani terror group Jundullah claimed responsibility for  attack on polio workers which claimed the lives of four people, including three women health workers, in Quetta, Dawn online reported. Four immunisation workers were killed and three others were injured Wednesday morning when armed men opened fire on a polio vaccination team near Quetta’s Eastern Bypass…

  • How Koirala broke the impasse

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      Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala played a crucial role in ending the impasse between India and Pakistan during the retreat at Dhulikhel near here  on the sidelines of the 18th Saarc Summit. There was immense pressure on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart, Nawaz Shairf, from visiting leaders and the media…

  • A thaw at the end

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    By Anil Giri    In a final ice-breaking moment, that gave a huge boost to Saarc and floundering regional cooperation, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shook hands with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif, laughed and even patted him on the arm at the closing ceremony of the organisation’s 18th summit here Thursday – to resounding applause…

  • SAARC Summit concludes with one pact

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    By Anil Giri  The 18th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) Summit concluded in Kathmandu Thursday with the adoption of a 36-point Kathmandu Declaration. During the Summit, a Saarc Framework Agreement on Energy Cooperation was signed while leaders of the South Asian nations directed their respective ministers to hold a meeting within three months…

  • Modi, Sharif shake hands

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     After a day when they apparently ignored each other in front of cameras, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistani Premier Nawaz Sharif shook hands and met briefly during the retreat at the Saarc Summit . “Yes, they have met and shook hands at the retreat,” Nepal Foreign Minister Mahendra Bahadur Pandey said over phone from…

  • Polio workers gunned down in Pakistan

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    Unidentified gunmen opened fire on a polio vaccination team near the Eastern Bypass area in Pakistan’s Quetta city , killing four health workers, including three women, and injuring three others. The assailants later escaped from the site of the incident, Dawn online reported. The bodies of the victims were shifted to the Civil Hospital Quetta…

  • Modi skip Sharif and meet the rest

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    Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with leaders of four South Asian nations on the sidelines of 18th Saarc Summit here , but the conspicuous absence from the meeting list was Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. He held talks with Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bhutan Lyonchhen Tshering Tobgey and Afghani…

  • Let’s walk in step, Modi tells SAARC

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    Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday exhorted the eight neighbouring nations of the south Asian regional grouping Saarc to “walk in step” as he proposed a slew of measures, including ease for business travel, a level playing field in trade, and initiatives in healthcare and tourism. Modi, in his maiden speech to the South Asian…

  • India has no talks planned with Pakistan

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    India  said there was “no structured meeting” planned between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif. “We (have not planned) any structured meeting between our prime minister and the Pakistani prime minister simply because we have not received a request to that extent,” Indian ministry of external affairs spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said.…

  • US drone strike in North Waziristan

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     A US drone attack in the North Waziristan tribal district of Pakistan  killed at least six suspected militants and injured three others. The drone targeted a compound with two missiles in the Kund Sar area of North Waziristan’s Shawal tehsil, Dawn online reported citing sources. The identities of the militants could not be ascertained. North…

  • Saarc must act for economic integration: Modi

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      Prime Minister Narendra Modi  called for a better economic  integration among Saarc, expressing concern that under 5 percent of the region’s global trade takes place between its eight member countries. The Indian prime minister also promised a special funding vehicle, overseen by his country, to finance infrastructure projects in the region, while also proposing…

  • India tells Pakistan to speed 26/11 trial

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    Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the trial of those responsible for the 2008 Mumbai terror attack is progressing “very slowly” in Pakistan and should be expedited on a priority basis. “Heartfelt tributes to people who lost their lives in Mumbai terror attack of 2008. The perpetrators of Mumbai attack are yet to be punished,”…

  • India calls for collective response to terrorism

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      India  said that terrorism is the biggest challenge the South Asian region faces and called for collective response to it. India also reiterated its “sincere and abiding commitment” towards regional peace, prosperity and development in South Asia. India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in her opening statement at the SAARC Council of Ministers Meeting…